Destination Ipswich

Suffolk folk are known for their self-effacing nature – an attribute shared, it seems, by the county town itself. Lauded for its longevity – it’s is thought to be the oldest British town in continuous settlement – and maritime history, Ipswich has always had to vie for visitor attention with near neighbours Colchester and Norwich, and it’s true to say that past perceptions of it have not always been positive. But 2019 is the time to forget what you think you know about the place and see it through fresh eyes: Ipswich has recaptured its adventurous spirit and is reinventing itself as a cultural capital that, like the tidal waters beyond, is both outgoing and welcoming.

Today, the town at the top of the River Orwell is a sailor’s dream destination: a choice of marinas and a cosmopolitan waterfront filled with fashionable bars, restaurants and cafés, plus a wealth of other dining, drinking, retail and cultural venues all within walking distance.

A new partnership of key stakeholders is working hard to put Ipswich back on the tourist map and prove that this is a town which knows where it’s going as much as where it has come from. Their approach to celebrating Ipswich’s heritage and historic assets is soft and understated – a modesty shared by the majority of its population. But follow their cues and you’ll find a centuries-old Ipswich that’s achingly cool (in parts) and crammed with culture (everywhere!)… stay awhile and you’ll see why it’s worthy of the nickname ‘Hipswich’.

Step back in time

The Romans established a large villa at Castle Hill, in the north-west area of Ipswich, and the town was permanently settled in the seventh century as a trading port, its location at the top of the River Orwell making it perfectly situated as a port and for ocean-going trade with Germany. During the Saxon period it was a centre for weaving, and developed into a large and prosperous town, supporting its own mint. But the location also made Ipswich vulnerable to Viking attack. The Danes occupied the town from AD 869-917.

Ipswich was granted a royal charter in 1200, at a time when it was known as a centre for wool trading and leather manufacture. From the 13th century the town developed a thriving shipbuilding industry, while an annual fair attracted people from all over East Anglia.

Spring 2019 saw the 500th Anniversary of Henry VIII gifting the rights of the River Orwell to the Ipswich Corporation, the merchants and port men that ran the town – an act which gave them control of the river, including the rights of navigation, trade and commerce, as well as rights over-arching those of the sailors who used it. That King’s gift makes the Orwell unique in Britain, for the river and riverbed are owned by the town of Ipswich, unlike nearly all other tidal rivers which are owned by the Crown Estate.



Look up to look back

Ipswich has a huge number of landmark buildings, including many on or within a stone’s throw of the waterfront where the Old Custom House – built in 1845 and now the offices of Ipswich Port Authority – occupies a commanding position, its classical portico supported on four Tuscan columns set on a huge stone stair.

Nearby, the medieval church of St Mary at the Quay, built in the late 15th century and one of four seafarer’s churches in the town, is now known as Quay Place, a heritage and wellbeing centre that’s the result of an innovative regeneration partnership between The Churches Conservation Trust and Suffolk Mind.

On Fore Street you’ll find The Old Neptune, a magnificent 15th-century Grade II* listed medieval house which has been painstakingly restored and, inside, stylishly updated. The house has 13 double bedrooms, a superb entertaining space and is set around a beautiful Italianate courtyard; it’s available to hire for parties, weddings and big group getaways.

Further along – past the friendly Lord Nelson Inn – Fore Street Baths is the second-oldest operational swimming pool in England. Now 125 years old, this iconic Victorian pool opened in March 1894 and was given an entrance with nautical-style porthole windows. The facility provided hot baths for those who lived locally, and its pool is still used for swimming classes today. Even if you don’t want to take a dip, do drop by to admire the architecture!

Throughout the streets that link Ipswich Waterfront to the retail centre, you’re surrounded by architectural splendour – just look above the shopfronts and you’ll see the signature styles of almost every period in the town’s history.

At the centre of it all, the ebullient Victorian Town Hall, built in 1878, and neighbouring Corn Market is home to a pair of art galleries and a theatre, as well as tea shop and glittering 19th century function rooms. Outside, the recently-renovated Cornhill has a water feature, seating and four arches forming a symbolic reference to the four figures on top of the Town Hall and the historic ‘gateway’ that was once the entrance to the town.

For contrast, Buttermarket’s Ancient House was built in the 15th century, its exterior covered with beautiful pargetry that represents Europe, America, Africa and Asia, as well detailed wood carvings that were added to the building in the 1660s.

Close by, at the junction of Northgate Street and Tavern Street you’ll spot the façade of the Grade II listed former Great White Horse Hotel building, where guests have included Charles Dickens, George II and Louis XVIII of France.

Northgate Street itself is the setting for the Tudor/Gothic-influenced Ipswich County Library where, on the first floor, a magnificent 100ft long room complete with vaulted ceiling and old oak bookshelves has coloured glass windows depicting famous historic literary figures, scientists, politicians, artists, soldiers and sailors with links to Suffolk.

Immediately opposite, behind an impressive red brick wall, is the Ipswich and Suffolk Club. Also on Northgate Street is timber-framed Pykenham’s Gatehouse, built in 1471, by William Pykenham, Archdeacon of Suffolk, who was renting a neighbouring property from Holy Trinity Priory and decided that his status demanded a more impressive dwelling.

The Central Quarter of Ipswich is where all the major big-brand retailers are, but it’s in the area known as The Saints – one of the main thoroughfares that connects the town centre with the Waterfront – where you’ll find a fascinating fusion of independent stores and eateries. Many of the buildings date back to Tudor times and a statue celebrates the town’s favourite son, Cardinal Wolsey, who was born here in around 1473. A craft and vintage market held here every June and November showcases the works of a wonderful mix of local artisans.

Almost a relief after so much immersion in medieval architecture, the Unitarian Meeting House on Friars Street is its hidden gem. Built in 1699 and hardly altered since, it’s close to the iconic 1970s Willis Building, designed by architect Sir Norman Foster and the youngest at the time to have been awarded is a Grade I listed status. The centre of the building is constructed from a grid of concrete pillars, 14m apart, supporting cantilevered concrete slab floors while 890 sheets of toughened dark tinted glass and a grand piano-shaped design reflects everything around it like a prism.

Even more modern, The University of Suffolk building was opened on the Waterfront in 2008, its curved design with glass frontage picking up many reflections from the water. The building has six floors, an auditorium, lecture theatres and teaching rooms plus a stunning exhibition space that showcases the work of students, alumni, staff and guest artists.

Culture and collections

Housed in an impressive Victorian building on High Street – a leisurely half-hour stroll from the Waterfront – Ipswich Museum hosts galleries devoted to Suffolk geology and wildlife, British mammals and birds, and an amazing Natural History Gallery: step inside and you’re greeted by life-sized model of a woolly mammoth! The Queen Anne facade features swags, dragons, floral and fossil mouldings, false pillars and framed sections, while inside there are eclectic collections exploring Ipswich’s past and curios from around the world.

Next door, and also now owned and operated by Ipswich Museums, Ipswich Art Gallery was built in the 1930s in the Art Deco style and has distinguishing architectural features including a large glass-roofed octagonal main-atrium space in the centre of the building. Throughout the year there’s a number of exhibitions on display in this former Ipswich Art School building where former students include painter-sculptor Maggi Hambling and ceramic designer Reginald George Haggar. Fine art and furniture are on show, too, at the fabulous Christchurch Mansion, a substantial stately home where treasures and household memorabilia are displayed in sumptuous period rooms. Here you’ll find the largest collection of paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and John Constable outside of London, while the Wolsey Art Gallery hosts a programme of changing exhibitions, featuring objects from the Ipswich collections as well as incredible loans from further afield – Auguste Rodin’s life-size marble sculpture The Kiss was a recent loan from the Tate.

All three venues are operated by Ipswich Museums and are staffed by people passionate and enthusiastic about their work. Some move between the sites so spread your visits over a couple of days and you may well meet them more than once – with typical Suffolk warmth, they’ll welcome you like an old friend!